Soulmate
by Darkford
Summary: A fic about Soulmates. Everyone gets their soulmate mark between the age fourteen and sixteen, and they know what will show up on their soulmate. Always their favourite thing in their favourite colour. So when Marinette gets a Black Cat on her back and Adrien a Red Ladybug, things happen. Sorry for posting an unfinished chapter - both documents were named 'Soulmate'. SIGH
1. Chapter 1

Marinette was testing out the newest design - a simpler one, just a summer set of clothes - when she saw her back and gasped.

It was there.

Everyone she knew had already gotten their soulmate mark. They appeared somewhere on your body around the ages of fourteen and sixteen, and they had a picture of something important to your soulmate in their favourite colour. Hers was a deep green-black mesh, and she danced in circles for a few minutes gleefully.

 _Finally._

 _I hope Adrien likes the colour green..._

Her heart in her throat, she wondered, _maybe he hates green and black. Maybe my soulmate isn't him and we'll never get married or have kids or a pet hamster-_

"Marinette!" Tikki cried, bringing her back to reality. "Concentrate! Go back to the mirror and see what it is!"

Marinette nodded seriously and peeked over her shoulder to look at her mark, glad the spaghetti-strap shirt let her see her right shoulder where the soulmate mark was. Her eyes went wide as she saw what it was.

"A cat," she murmured. "A black cat."

* * *

She dreaded and awaited that day for fifteen long years, and this was... not expected. Her mind clattered with questions galore as she stared at the black cat outlined in green, that stared back at her from her shoulder.

"Do you think it might be Chat Noir?" Tikki inquired cautiously, touching Marinette's shoulder gently.

"I... It has to be." she cried. "No more Adrien. It's Chat, no question." She felt like tearing up, and fell to her knees.

"So long hoping, just for this to happen."

"Don't be like that, Marinette!" Tikki protested, trying to help her feel better. "I'm sure that when you two get together you'll love Chat even more than Adrien!"

"I know but..." She sighed. "It still hurts. Help me take down the photos... I need to not think about Adrien for a while." She shook herself. "It's going to take a long time to get him out of my head."

Tears fell as she tried to sleep, but she knew at heart it would be okay. Nothing was more certain than a soulmate mark.

* * *

Alya noticed immediately that something was wrong. Marinette was not the type to have a face set in stone; nor was she the kind of girl to ever drag her feet, but what tipped her off most was that Marinette was _early_ to class.

She slid in next to Alya, and for a few moments silence reigned. Then, in a very quiet voice, Marinette explained with one simple phrase.

"My soulmate mark appeared."

In an instant she was on full alert. From the way she said it, it wasn't Adrien, which surprised Alya; considering how Marinette swooned over Adrien, she was sure that he had to be the one for her. Even then, it wasn't like you _had_ to marry your soulmate; they could just be good friends. Marinette was firm on these things, though - she was fairly certain that Marinette would definitely want to marry her soulmate, no matter who they were.

"Wassup, girl? Not happy with what they find important or something?"

"No," Marinette admitted, blushing slightly. "But... my soulmate mark tells me exactly who they are... and yet I have no idea."

Well, sure, that made sense. Total contradictions always made sense.

Alya also had to remember that people always knew what their soulmate mark was when it appeared on their partner; she knew hers was a red phone, embarrassingly enough. But soulmate marks could change, and she was sure there would be something more important that would eventually take it's place.

"Say, do you know your soulmate mark?" Alya inquired hopefully. Marinette had never told her before.

"Yeah," she admitted. "But I'm still not telling you."

"Why?"

"Because what it shows is a secret."

Alya had never heard Marinette talk cryptically like this before. It was almost as if she wanted to tell Alya directly, but couldn't. What was so secret about this mark that she couldn't even tell her best friend?

"Look, girl, just calm yourself and tell me what yours is then."

"It's black... and green," she began slowly.

"Yeah?" Alya urged, sitting on the edge of her seat.

"It's an animal." She continued. "That's all I'm saying."

Alya considered. "Black and green... an animal..." She shrugged. "Nope, coming up blank here. I'll just have to keep trying." She smirked. "Look out, girl, because I'm going to find out who it is one way or another."

Marinette nodded numbly, not even bothering to protest, and Alya shifted closer to pat her best friend's back. "It'll be okay," she murmured, hoping that if it was needed it reached her friend's ears.

All that day, Marinette did not look at Adrien once.

* * *

Adrien was confused.

His father had banned him from speaking of soulmate marks, nor was he to ask anyone; he thought this meant it was something he ought to know.

He knew what his would be, even if he'd never seen it. It would be a symbol of what gave him freedom; a black cat surrounded by the colour green. Hearing Marinette and Alya talk about it reminded him and made him curious.

He turned to Nino and gulped. Hopefully, asking wouldn't hurt their friendship... he treasured Nino.

"Hey," he began nervously, "Can I ask you a question that'll probably sound stupid to you?"

"Go for it," Nino agreed.

"What are soulmate marks?"

For a moment Nino stared at him, hard, and Adrien feared he'd screwed up badly again, but instead Nino chuckled and replied, "Go to the library at break and I'll explain them."

Oh, break couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

"So, that means that my soulmate mark will appear on my body someday?!" He asked excitedly.

"Definitely! And soon, too!" Nino confirmed. "Look, mine's pretty cool, right here," he said, pulling back the sleeve on his left arm. On there was a red phone. "I think it's Alya," he explained quietly.

"Lucky you," Adrien congratulated him.

"I'm surprised your Dad kept it from you this long, actually," Nino admitted. "You're nearly sixteen, so it might appear any day now."

"Yeah, right," Adrien mumbled. "Knowing me, it'll be another few years before I get mine at all..."

* * *

"Holy. SHI-" He bit off his words before his father could hear him and scolded himself.

Of course something like this would happen. Of course.

Inside his heart was flying, because it was right there on his left shoulder. How had he not seen it before?! It could have been there for weeks!

It was definitely her, and he loved it. He _adored_ it. He sang and danced in circles and gave Plagg extra cheese so that he could sing some more without him complaining about him being in love again.

It was a delicate red-and-black ladybug that was on his back.

* * *

Now he had a lead.

It suddenly became very important to Adrien that he found his Ladybug. He knew that she'd be upset, at least a little, that it was him; one way or another, though, he was certain that he could depend on her. They would never hurt each other; that was just how soulmates worked.

Feeding Plagg, he transformed and stretched out into the city, letting himself be free. Hopping from roof to roof, he watched the city lovingly; somewhere in this city was his soulmate, Ladybug, in civilian form.

Maybe he should check some of the girls he saw for the telltale black cat that would certainly be there? There was no doubt it would be, it _had_ to be somewhere.

What if she hid it? What if she was ashamed that it was him?

He'd just have to step up his game and be better for his Lady, then.

Hopping across another rooftop, he paused on a balcony near his own house to look out at the Eiffel tower. Oh, it _was_ pretty. Perhaps not as beautiful as his lady, but it sure was pretty.

Just then, he looked down as a sound told him a door had been closed. He blinked at the balcony across from the one he stood on; leaping back, he lurked in the shadows to watch the girl who stepped out onto the balcony and stared out at the Eiffel tower herself.

She was pretty, too. Her spaghetti-strap shirt didn't seem like nightclothes, either. Maybe she was headed out late sometime soon?

Then he blinked as she shifted her weight and brought her other shoulder into his line of vision.

In a blinding instant it all made sense.

Those pigtails, the sparkling blue eyes, the adorable chubby cheeks, even the freckles were all the same.

 _It's her._

He held back a squeal of delight as he approached.

He looked around.

 _This... is Marinette's house_

 _THAT'S MARINETTE_

 _OH HOLY MOTHER OF-_

She turned around, and he really couldn't blame himself for fainting on the spot.

* * *

He woke up in an incredibly pink bed, with a face he'd seen every day and yet spent ages looking for looking over him nervously.

"Um, uh, are you awake?" She asked quietly, dabbing his forehead with a wet towel. "I don't even know why this would help but uh-"

"Thank you," he said honestly. With a playful smirk, he added, " _Purr_ incess."

"You're welcome," She replied quietly, smiling and giggling a little at the pun.

 _Yes! She really does like puns!_

He resisted the urge to purr right then and there, but he was still tempted to as she moved around the room and let him come to his senses. He would be perfectly happy if he never did; he wanted to stay here with his lady forever.

She really was Ladybug. Not just his hero in a red suit, but Ladybug. The personality, the shy girl who was strong for the safety of Paris, the modest girl who showed pride in her work; this was Marinette. It had been so long since Ladybug had been shy or modest or been alone with him that he'd nearly forgotten why he fell in love in the first place.

Seeing her in a new light reminded him, and for the moment he was stuck in a mindless bliss.

"Chat Noir?" She asked suddenly, making him wake up from his thoughts. "Do you know?"

There was a mutual silence, broken by him replying, "Yes, my Lady."

She sighed. "At least it was you," she admitted. "Any other soulmate and I probably would never have revealed myself to you at all."

He found that that was probably true. With a jolt, he realized something, and asked quickly, "Do you know who I am?"

She paused, then reluctantly shook her head.

"Oh, well, I'm-"

"Wait!" She cried. Stopping, she continued, "Um... I'd rather just see."

"Okay," he agreed readily. Noticing her nervous expression, he continued, "When you're ready for it."

"Give me a day or two," She requested quietly. "I... had a big crush on another guy for a long time, which is why I kept refusing you... I'm sorry. I was just so convinced that he was the one." She threw herself on the bed next to him. "It was only yesterday I took down the pictures."

He grinned. "Oh, my princess had a crush? Tell me about him."

"Why?" She frowned. "I just want to forget."

"You have to remember if you need to forget," he said smartly.

"Later, kitty," she complained. "When I'm not exhausted, physically and emotionally. But on the bright side, maybe I'll make you a hoodie."

His eyes lit up like a child on Christmas day.

"Oh, oh! Can it have cat ears so I can wear it on patrols?!" He asked excitedly.

"Sure," Marinette smirked. "And an extra pocket for your Kwami if you need to drop your transformation unexpectedly and he needs somewhere to hide."

"Knowing him, he'll hide a secret cheese stash there," Chat commented, pouting.

Marinette laughed.

 _...I could get used to this._

* * *

Alya noticed Marinette's good mood instantly.

 _Right. Something has happened._ In an instant her reporter mode was activated, and as Marinette slid in next to her friend Alya took her friend's hand and said, "Spill the beans."

"Met him today," she said happily. "He's a fun guy to be around."

She noticed Adrien shiver, and Marinette was actually the one to ask. "Hey, what's wrong Adrien?"

 _Damn, she's gotten over him already?_

"Oh, I was just wondering if he had a Mushroom cut," he commented idly.

There was a moment of silence, and very, very suddenly, Marinette burst into laughter.

"Girl, I thought you didn't like puns!" Alya cried disbelievingly, which only made her laugh more.

* * *

When Chat dropped in through the window a few days later, being welcomed briefly by his Lady before she returned to a mannequin, he felt like dropping his disguise right there and then. She was so nervous... he just wanted her to see who he was before they got too far.

Then, of course, he laid eyes on what was being pulled off of the mannequin.

"It's done?" he asked eagerly, hovering over her shoulder.

"Yes, chaton," she confirmed, handing it to him. "Use the bathroom to change... and drop your transformation. One way or another, I think I'm ready."

There was a silent celebration going on in his head as he pulled off his usual shirt and pulled on the fuzzy sweater, pulling up the hood and grinning at himself.

He looked so much like... well, himself. It felt _right._

This was his new favourite sweater, and he was going to wear it every day one way or another.

Walking out with confidence, he walked over to her standing by the window and put a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look up at him.

It occurred to him that he should lift his hood, which he did, smiling sadly at her for a moment.

The reaction was instantaneous. Her eyes went wide, her mouth formed a perfect oh, she went stiff as she noticed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry if I disappointed you..."

Her lip began to quiver slightly, but in a stunned moment he soon found himself being embraced fully, and he heard her using his new hoodie to muffle her scream.

She moved away, took a few deep breaths, and said, "This is the best day of my life and I'm about to faint so catch me."

* * *

Chloe Bourgeois walked up to Adrien confidently, smiling suspiciously.

"Adrikins," she said, voice dripping with ill intentions, "have you got your soulmate mark yet?"

"Yeah," he replied, smiling happily.

"It doesn't happen to be a golden crown, does it?" she inquired, the confidence in her voice sickening to hear.

"Nope," he replied promptly. "It's an animal."

She paused, looked at him, and promptly fell back in a dead faint.

"Oh, you got her good," Marinette complimented, grinning. "She won't recover from that for a while."

"Eh, she'll be back again until she gets a look," he shrugged. "She's going to be _so_ upset when she finds out."

He also happened to be wearing his Chat Noir hoodie. Alya and Nino were still completely confused by why Marinette and Adrien were acting up.

"Say, Marinette," she inquired sneakily, "What did you say your soulmate's mark was again?"

"A black cat," she smirked, and the realization paralyzed her friend completely. Incoherent stuttering was a constant.

"Oh, really?" Adrien inquired, looking up at her with a devilish smirk. "Mine happens to be a Ladybug."

"How interesting!" Marinette replied, barely holding back full-blown laughter.

* * *

"Okay, okay, fine," Marinette caved in to her friend at last. "Yes, it's Chat Noir."

"And Adrien's is Ladybug?!" She cried, gripping her shoulders. "This is why you guys have a connection! Your soulmates partners in heroism!"

"I'm not sure that's how that goes, but sure," Marinette giggled.

"Dude, you really should have told me," Nino grumbled. "Didn't we always tell each other everything?"

"Sort of," Adrien admitted, nudging Marinette as a hint. "But, well, there's one little thing we haven't told you two."

Almost instantaneous was how one might describe their reaction. Gaping jaws as little subtle hints seeped in, then pure raw awe as the glow of transformation lit up the room.

After a few moments, Alya fainted.

Nino grinned wildly as he caught her, then looked up at his friend.

"Official Best Day Ever," he decided on the spot.

Marinette and Adrien couldn't agree more.


	2. So you want another chapter

Okay, so when I first wrote this I was sleep deprived and Tumblr-driven to do something about the 1mil+1 au ideas in my head, and this was what happened. Apparently you guys really like this junk, so here's my proposal; If I reach 20 reviews, I'll write another chapter or two. It'll mostly be fluff and other cutesy things, but it will be another chapter.

I do have a lot of ongoing projects, (10-ish to be exact), so It might not come the moment I hit 20, if I hit 20 at all. One way or another, I promise to write another chapter if I hit 20 reviews.

I'll see you guys again if I get 20 reviews.

(PS. It's not that I want reviews in particular, I just want to make sure there's enough interest considering I have like 5 stories to write chapters for. Thanks, and goodnight!)

EDIT:

Holy shopnozzle, I posted the in-progress chapter. Now I have to rewrite it. *sigh*


	3. Chapter 2, aka the really bad chapter

There was a silence in the city at night that could both awe and make one's skin crawl. It would bring forth a good question as to where everyone went; after all, the Eiffel tower was lit, the lamp posts like little suns standing in line from one end of a street to the other; the sky was a boundless blanket seemingly made to mimic the eyes of his companion, boundless blues with a sparkle of ingenuity and excitement that made his entire body quiver with excitement.

He leaped into the sky eagerly, feeling the wind in his golden hair ('banana locks,' she called them, her tinkling laughter making the world swoon) and letting his instincts take control. Leaping and bouncing and flying through Paris, grinning like a Cheshire cat - which, in a way, he was.

A metal extendable pole at his belt began to flash, and he whipped it in front of him, making a stellar landing near the closest lamp post. pulling it open to reveal the small screen, he flicked at it to answer his Lady's call.

"Chat?" The angelic voice called, looking into his weapon's counterpart with mild impatience. "Ah, good. How's patrol going?"

"You ask this every day," He said in a non _chat_ lant manner. Oh, she would have hated that one. "Is my _Purr_ incess worried _fur_ me?" he laughed at her pout, knowing that if she were herself right now, and not her superhero identity, she would be laughing like mad.

"You know how I feel about your _puns._ " She grumbled, though her smile said otherwise.

"Yes, I know," he replied cheekily. "That just makes it a whole lotta _pun._ "

The call ended.

He laughed into the night and went home.

* * *

Marinette took a deep breath and put down her yoyo, simultaneously detransforming and smiling at her small companion.

"There," she nodded to herself, as if reassuring someone. "Now he won't think that I'm ignoring him or slacking off."

"Marinette," Tikki giggled. "He'll love you whether you call him every night or not."

"Yeah," Marinette agreed. "That's part of why he's so wonderful. But I can't just take that for granted; I need to uphold my end of our relationship." She collapsed into her chair in her bedroom. "I think he needs me more than ever."

Particularly considering he was the kind of boy who liked to declare his love for someone from any and every available rooftop.

It had taken a considerable amount of effort on her end just to keep him from yelling out both her identities as his one true love. She remembered feeling incredibly embarrassed as he cupped her face in his hands and tried desperately to apologize and simultaneously get away with calling her 'blessed' name from the rooftops. She had managed to shut him up pretty quick with a peck on the cheek, however.

Now she was turning back to her room and taking a look at the totally-not-inspired-by-Chat-Noir line of clothing she'd been working tirelessly on since they'd gotten together. In particular, it was tailored to cover his soulmate mark; that was another secret they had to keep.

After all, if she had known right away, who knows how others would react to him being her soulmate? She couldn't very well tell them 'oh yeah, I'm also Ladybug'. She definitely needed a way to deal with that.

She reached for her phone to ask Alya about it, but then she remembered it was half past midnight on a Sunday. She definitely needed to make sure she remembered that every healthy teenager would _not_ be awake at this hour.

"I'll see you in the morning, Tikki," Marinette yawned, leaning back on her couch and falling into a deep sleep the moment her head hit the pillow.

"See you in the morning, Marinette," Tikki smiled, dragging the blanket as much as she could with her tiny stature over her holder's shoulders. She let a tinkling laughter fill the quiet air, and with a short glance at Marinette, she snuck into the kitchen to get an extra cookie before bed.

* * *

The next morning, Alya patted her friend on the back, giving her a sympathetic smile as her friend yawned loudly. She no longer teased Marinette about it (well, maybe a _little_ ) considering that she was probably staying up late doing cool superhero stuff on top of her designing.

"What's the latest clothing fad?" She asked as they slid into their seats, not because she was particularly interested but because it would probably wake Marinette up and let her get a window into her schedule. She couldn't have her friend get away with spending too much time awake, after all.

"Well, honestly," Marinette admitted, "I've been working on..." she yawned into her hand, "A Chat Noir line."

Alya's face fell into a natural grin, and Marinette groaned. "You're never going to stop doing this to me."

"You can say that again, girl," Alya agreed wholeheartedly. "Oh, why don't we announce LadyNoir going cannon?"

Marinette gave her a look. Not just any look - _the_ look.

"Fine, fine, I was kidding..." Alya waved it off, but instead Marinette pushed down Alya's hand and replied positively.

"It'll make the kitty happy, at least," she mumbled, letting her head hit the desk as she finally gave in to accept the welcoming arms of sleep.

Alya giggled happily and let her friend nap for once. She deserved it, after all - especially as the hero of Paris.

She could almost hear Marinette scolding her, replying, _"No,_ One of _the heroes of Paris. Chat Noir is just as important as Ladybug."_

She shook her head and gave Nino a thumbs up as he and Adrien walked in. They snickered, and nearly silently they switched seats, Alya taking Adrien's place.

"Oh, by the way," Alya whispered as he passed, "She decided it was okay to announce Chat Noir and Ladybug's relationship."

He fist bumped very quietly, but she noticed how his face was set in a perpetual smile as he sat down next to his soulmate.

Oh, how beautiful they were...

* * *

*Bzrrt Bzzp*

"Alya, it's working now," Nino reported, adjusting his cap. He went around to the other side of the camera and his soulmate quickly adjusted her microphone, wiping off the top and repeating a few common phrases into it expectantly, smiling as her voice rattled loudly around the room.

Ladybug and Chat Noir were sitting on the sofa with her, in her renovated playroom from her childhood. Now devoid of her dolls and childhood toys, it had been converted into a reporter's room. There was a TV screen behind them which, at the moment, was just cycling through a few choice images of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

"You guys ready?" Alya inquired, giving them a winning smile as she squirmed in her seat from excitement.

"Duh, we've been ready for hours," Marinette replied, giggling.

"I'm _purr_ fectly ready _fur_ this," Adrien added, grinning like a loon as Marinette facepalmed.

"Alright, Nino, get behind the camera!" Alya called, and he gave her a final thumbs up.

"First live broadcast in HD for the Ladyblog in 3!

2!

1!"

* * *

"Welcome, Bugheads and Chat-lovers!" Alya called into her microphone. "Today we've got some exclusive news for you, coming live in HD from Ladyblog headquarters!" She smiled at her friends. "It's going to be short, but this news is exclusive to the Ladyblog. Allow me to welcome Ladybug and Chat Noir!"

"Good Morning," Ladybug said politely, ruined completely by Chat Noir giving her bunny ears behind her back.

"And what did you have to say to all us bugheads this morning?" Alya asked, her smile twitching as she held back laughter.

"Three words," Chat Noir grinned, glancing at Ladybug. They counted down under their breath and said,

"We're officially dating."

The broadcast ended and the comments section exploded.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know, uninspired ending. However, I might write a few more mini chapters if you guys want more. I'm taking ideas if anyone wants something to happen, but otherwise I'm done. I have other projects to work on too... (and exams to study for...)


End file.
